1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to machines for reshaping cylindrical metal bodies. More specifically, the invention relates to a modular base constructed from a plurality of prefabricated modules which provide support for rotatable turret assemblies having a plurality of can reshaping tools mounted thereon. The modular base is constructed such that the modules can be connected to each other in side-by-side relationship, with different modules supporting turret assemblies that carry the same or different can reshaping tools and with the turret assemblies being supported in close proximity to each other such that cans that have been processed by the tools on one turret assembly are moved directly to another turret assembly for further processing without the need for any conveyor or track work to carry the cans from one processing station to the next.
2. Related Art
Apparatus provided heretofore for processing cylindrical metal cans have required conveyors or track work for carrying cans that have been subjected to a first reshaping operation at a first processing station to another station for the performance of a second reshaping operation. The use of track work or conveyors in existing apparatus for carrying cans from one processing station to another often results in physical damage to the cans as well as a loss of control of any particular can throughout the series of processing operations performed on the can.
In a manufacturing facility using existing can processing equipment, there is no simple and efficient way to simply add on a desired number of additional workstations to the existing equipment in order to provide for a desired number of additional processing steps. This limitation reduces the flexibility of existing manufacturing facilities to adapt to new requirements imposed by the end users of the cans. For example, as various industries demand cans made from increasingly thinner metal in order to save on raw material costs, necking operations performed on the cans must be completed over a greatly increased number of die necking processing steps. The increase in the number of processing steps results from the need to deform the thin metal making up the can a small amount at a time. These die necking operations are performed at successive turrets carrying die necking tooling of increasingly smaller diameter. Necking of cans having thin metal walls is achieved with the greatest degree of success when the open end of the cans is deformed gradually in a series of small steps.
With existing apparatus, if it is desired to add additional turrets in order to accommodate the successive die necking operations, conveyors or track work must be provided to convey the cans from the existing turrets to the newly added turrets. An inherent disadvantage of such a set-up is that precise control of the position of a can at any particular time is lost while the can is being shuttled along the conveyor. An additional disadvantage of existing can processing apparatus is the likelihood of damage to the cans while they are being conveyed from one processing station to the next.